Washington, Aug 19, SPA -- U.S. President George W. Bush has defended a surveillance program he authorized after a federal judge ruled it unconstitutional. Bush said those who agree with the decision “simply do not understand the nature of the world in which we live.” “This country of ours is at war,” the president said Friday. “And we must give those whose responsibility it is to protect the United States the tools necessary to protect this country in a time of war.” On Thursday, Judge Anna Diggs Taylor upheld a challenge to the program by the American Civil Liberties Union. The program allows the National Security Agency to monitor the international communications of Americans without obtaining court approval. The court decision held that the program violated constitutional rights to free speech and privacy. “I strongly disagree with this decision. Strongly disagree,” Bush said of the ruling. Speaking after a meeting with economic advisors, the president was reluctant to discuss claims that North Korea may be preparing for an underground test of a nuclear bomb. “It’s a hypothetical question and you’re asking me to divulge any intelligence information I have and I’m not going to do that,” he said. But he added a warning. “If North Korea were to conduct a test, it’s just a constant reminder for people in the neighborhood in particular that North Korea poses a threat and we expect our friends, those sitting around the table with us, to act in such a manner as to help rid the world of the threat.”--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/383639